This invention generally relates to wheelchairs for handicapped or disabled persons. More specifically, the invention relates to wheelchairs and apparatus for lifting them into and out of automobiles while the handicapped persons remain seated thereon during the movement of the wheelchairs.
Handicapped persons, like the rest of the population, desire mobility and the ability to use motor vehicles such as passenger cars, vans, buses and trucks (collectively and generally referred to as "vehicles"). With the ability to drive vehicles, handicapped persons can experience a high degree of mobility and independence. Those handicapped persons who are able to operate wheelchairs usually have the ability to operate vehicles as well, but have great difficulty in entering and exiting vehicles.
One existing type of wheelchair for which the present invention is designed is a wheelchair or cart that has a seat that can be elevated or lowered with respect to a base having an appropriate number of wheels attached thereto to allow the wheelchair to move on the ground or other surface. In such existing wheelchairs, the seat height is typically adjusted by way of a telescoping mechanism that can be mechanically and/or electrically operated by the user.
Over the years, various mechanisms have been developed which allow the lifting of wheelchairs into a vehicle and their subsequent positioning in the vehicle. The existing mechanisms typically require motor-driven sources of power to lift or hoist the wheelchair from the ground and into the vehicle. Such mechanisms also typically require major modifications to the vehicle such as the addition of expensive, bulky and heavy equipment. Furthermore, the loading and unloading of wheelchairs into and out of such modified vehicles by existing mechanisms is time consuming, and sometimes requires an operator, other than the handicapped individual, to operate the lifting mechanism.
Thus, there is a need for a simple, light, inexpensive and easy-to-operate lifting apparatus and method for allowing a handicapped person to transfer his or her wheelchair (with the handicapped user seated thereon) into and out of a vehicle without assistance from others and without major or expensive modifications to a standard vehicle. The present invention fulfills these needs.